


Tea and Comfort

by Melacka



Category: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Comfort Food, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23728057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/pseuds/Melacka
Summary: On Georgiana's wedding day, Elizabeth seeks to ease Fitzwilliam's apprehensions.
Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy
Comments: 11
Kudos: 287
Collections: Flash In The Pan: A Food Flash Exchange





	Tea and Comfort

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vintagelavenderskies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vintagelavenderskies/gifts).



A cup of tea, perfectly prepared, appeared at his hand. He stared at it morosely, watching as little tendrils of steam danced in the air.

“Fitzwilliam.”

She sounded concerned, true, but exasperated also. Oh, how he loved her.

“Come now,” Elizabeth coaxed. “Join me, Fitzwilliam.”

A slice of cake slid into view next to the tea. His fingers flexed but he did not move otherwise. Elizabeth sighed, her exasperation overtaking her concern.

“This is meant to be a happy day and I will _not_ allow you to spoil it for Georgiana. Now, do stop being so tiresome and eat your cake.”

She pushed the cake forward and held up a fork expectantly

“Cake, Elizabeth?” he asked quietly, taking the fork obediently but putting it down almost immediately. “So early in the day?”

“Not just any cake, my love,” she replied cheerfully. “Your very favourite cake, made specially for you. I understand that it was something of a tradition to have this cake on special occasions.”

He grunted noncommittally. She was correct, of course, but he was in no humour to agree with her.

“I spoke to the cook yesterday and requested that this be prepared for you today,” she said, blithely ignoring his lack of enthusiasm. “No one else shall have this cake, Fitzwilliam, unless you choose to share it.”

“I am not a child,” he said sullenly, aware even as he said it how childish he sounded. “I do not need to be bribed into good behaviour with sweets.”

“Do you not?” Elizabeth asked archly. “I have not seen any evidence thus far to convince me that you will behave appropriately today.”

Darcy huffed a sigh and looked away. Lizzy took his hand in both of hers, squeezing gently.

“Fitzwilliam, please.”

“What if this is the wrong decision?” he murmured, looking into the cup of tea again. “What if he is not the right person for her?”

“Fitzwilliam—”

“She is still so _young_ and there is no need to rush into these things.”

“She is hardly rushing—”

“And what do we really know about _him_?” he said, warming to his theme. “We have been deceived before, Elizabeth, and I would not forgive myself if Georgiana were to be hurt—”

“Fitzwilliam, please, listen to me!” Elizabeth said sternly. “I know this is difficult for you, but Georgiana is going to be married today.”

“But—”

“No! Do not interrupt me, you _must_ listen to me.”

He sighed heavily and then nodded his acquiescence.

“Fitzwilliam, you have had the care of Georgiana for so many years and from such a young age, it is only natural that you feel some apprehension at this juncture.” She threaded the fingers of one hand through his and brought the other to his cheek. “But your worries are unfounded, surely you must see that. Mr Acton is a good man, and a man who you yourself once professed to like!”

“Before he tried to steal my sister away from me!”

“Nonsense!” Elizabeth scoffed. “Georgiana cannot be stolen from you, my love, she does not belong to you.”

He stood up from the table angrily and stalked over to the window. The day was going to be a fine one and this did nothing to improve his mood. He heard Elizabeth stand up and quietly dismiss the servants from the room. She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing against his back. He sighed in pleasure and closed his eyes, placing his hands over hers.

“She is _happy_ , Fitzwilliam,” she whispered. “Georgiana wants to marry Mr Acton, and we must allow it to happen.”

“I know,” he sighed. “But I cannot help but worry, she is my sister, Elizabeth.”

There was a moment of silence and Darcy drew comfort from the silent support he could feel emanating from her.

“Do you remember our wedding?” Elizabeth asked quietly.

“Of course,” he said, a smile coming to his lips unbidden. “I’m not likely to forget the very best day of my life, Lizzy.”

“Then perhaps you can concede that this may very well be the best day of Georgiana’s life?”

He extracted himself from her arms and turned to face her. Her smile was kind, understanding, but her eyes were as teasing as ever.

“Perhaps,” he conceded eventually.

“And perhaps every time you grow melancholy at the prospect of your sister getting married, you can remember how happy you were to be marrying me?”

“I can manage that, yes.”

Elizabeth nodded her satisfaction and then a teasing smile came to her face. An answering smile appeared on his own face and he thought fondly of how much more he had smiled since being married to this remarkable woman.

“Do you remember how people reacted to the announcement of our engagement?” she asked coyly. “And how many people assumed that I was marrying you for your wealth? Or how many people wondered if you had taken leave of your senses in choosing me?”

Darcy laughed out loud and drew her into his embrace.

“Nothing could have stopped me from marrying you once you consented, my love.”

“Exactly!” she said triumphantly, laying her cheek against his chest and hugging him tightly. “We were happy, and we were in love and nothing could have prevented us from marrying on that day!”

“I do not care for the use of past tense in this case, Elizabeth,” he said, adopting a faux stern manner. “Do you not love me still? Are you not happy with me?”

Elizabeth drew back, an uncharacteristically serious look on her face. She brought a hand up to his face and cupped his cheek tenderly.

“I loved you then and I love you now. Marrying you was the very best decision I have made in my life and I am forever grateful to have you as my husband.”

“Elizabeth,” he breathed. “My love.”

“You have transformed my life, Fitzwilliam,” she continued. “You have made me the happiest of women and taught me so much in the process.”

“I have taught you?” he said, incredulous. “I do not think—”

“You taught me the value of love in a life well lived,” Elizabeth insisted. “I always insisted that I would only marry for love and _nothing_ else could entice me into matrimony, but you have taught me what love really means.”

“Oh, my dearest Elizabeth.”

“Loving you has made me a better person, Fitzwilliam, and that is why I know we should support Georgiana in her decision to marry Mr Acton.”

“Elizabeth,” he groaned. “I thought we had done with that subject.”

“Not yet, Fitzwilliam,” she said, her usual teasing smile firmly in place. “Not until you promise me that you will do nothing to sour Georgiana’s wedding day. You must give no indication of your reservations.”

“But—”

“Our families did not suppose us to be well-suited, Fitzwilliam,” she reminded him gently. “Most people we know did not think our marriage could be successful.”

“And how very wrong they were!” he said triumphantly.

“Yes, how very wrong they were to doubt our happiness.” She looked at him pointedly. “They were wrong to doubt our sincerity.”

“Elizabeth—”

“Georgiana is old enough to know her own mind, Fitzwilliam. You have done what you can to guide her and teach her, now she must make her own way.”

“I do not know how to let her go,” he admitted, hanging his head. “I cannot help but feel apprehensive about her leaving Pemberley.”

“She will always have a home with us,” Elizabeth said quietly. “If at any point she feels the need or the desire to return to us, she will be welcome.”

“Yes.”

“And that is the best that we can do for her. We must let her go with our blessing, and an understanding that she can always come back to us.” She leaned up to press a gentle kiss to his cheek and then embraced him again. “Because sometimes that is what love means, Fitzwilliam.”

“You are right, of course,” he sighed, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I must not sour Georgiana’s day with my apprehensions.”

Darcy did not know how long they stood like that, locked in an embrace that was both familiar and reassuring. Eventually, they were interrupted by the entrance of Georgiana.

“Fitzwilliam?” she said timidly. “Elizabeth?”

“Georgiana!” he said, pulling back from Elizabeth slowly and then paused, unsure of how to continue.

“Georgiana, you look beautiful!” Elizabeth said enthusiastically, covering his awkward silence easily. “Does she not look wonderful, Fitzwilliam? The very picture of loveliness!”

“Indeed, she does,” he agreed readily, walking towards his sister with arms outstretched. “You make a beautiful bride, Georgiana, as we all knew you would.”

Georgiana blushed and accepted his embrace quietly before turning to Elizabeth eagerly. The sisters embraced affectionately as Darcy made his way back to the table and his cold cup of tea. He sipped at it thoughtfully, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude as he looked at the two women he loved the most in the world. Elizabeth pulled back from Georgiana and smiled at him affectionately.

“I believe we have just enough time for tea before we need to leave,” she said cheerfully.

“Yes,” Darcy agreed. “Tea and cake. Will you join us, Georgiana?”

“Cake, Fitzwilliam?” Georgiana said curiously, taking her customary seat to his left. “So early?”

“Elizabeth arranged for it to be prepared,” Darcy replied, smiling at his wife as she took the seat to his right. “It is a special occasion, after all.”

“Indeed!” Elizabeth enthused. “And what better way to spend these last precious moments together?”

Darcy took one each of Elizabeth and Georgiana’s hands in his and brought them to his lips, one by one.

“I can think of no better use of our time, Lizzy,” he said tenderly. “My favourite cake and my favourite people, I am indeed a lucky man.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who reads/leaves kudos/comments!


End file.
